The Crossword Turns 100 (Across): Celebrate By Playing Our Puzzle

The first published crossword puzzle was printed on December 21, 1913, in the The New York World. It was written by Arthur Wynne, a British journalist who moved to the United States at age 19 and wound up in New York City. His puzzle, diamond-shaped and identified as a "Word-Cross," first appeared in the "Fun" section of the Sunday paper.

The weekend tradition has endured. Crossword enthusiasts are well familiar with The New York Times' super-sized Sunday puzzle, and its editor (and frequentAsk Me Anotherguest) Will Shortz, has become a wordplay superstar.

To mark the puzzle's 100th anniversary, Ask Me Another puzzle guru John Chaneski crafted this special AMA-themed puzzle. While you don't have to be a superfan of the show to solve it, astute listeners of the show's credits will sense a theme.

We'll post the answer key in a few days, but we want the competitive solvers among you to show off your smarts. If you're so inclined, leave your solving time in the comments, or send Ask Me Another a photo of your finished grid at askmeanother@npr.org or by tagging #askmeanother on Instagram. Plus, we'll be tweeting out hints all day on Saturday, December 21st. Puzzle on!

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